Nardi Wins 4th Challenger Title On 20th Birthday

Luca Nardi’s first ATP Challenger Tour title of the season could not have come at a better time.

The Italian #NextGenATP star triumphed at the Porto Open in Portugal on Sunday, when he was celebrating his 20th birthday. The fourth seed Nardi rallied past home favourite Joao Sousa 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the final to earn his fourth Challenger trophy.

“I will remember this day, my 20th birthday, my most important title,” Nardi told Sport TV. “For sure it will be special for a long time. It wasn’t easy because I knew it would be a very tough crowd today, all for him. I knew that, I respect that. He played good, he had a very solid week and today I think I was very focussed, didn’t want to give up.

“The first two matches I didn’t play good, but then I played better match by match and I hope I can keep this confidence for the rest of the season.”

Nardi, who is 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race, is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the season’s best 21-and-under players.

In other Challenger Tour action, Jaume Munar dropped just one set all week to be crowned champion at the San Marino Tennis Open, where he defeated Andrea Pellegrino 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

World No. 80 Munar overcame a slow start in the semi-finals, where he trailed countryman Daniel Rincon 0-6 before mounting a comeback and lifting his ninth Challenger title the next day.

Earlier this season, the Spaniard Munar reached the last four of the ATP 250 event in Santiago and the fourth round of the Mutua Madrid Open. His triumph in San Marino marks his first Challenger title of 2023. The 26-year-old arrived at the Challenger 125 event following back-to-back tour-level quarter-finals in Gstaad and Umag.

Jaume Munar wins the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in San Marino.” />
^{Jaume Munar in action Sunday in San Marino. Credit: San Marino Tennis Open}

It was a dream week for Croatian Duje Ajdukovic, who advanced through qualifying en route to his maiden Challenger title at the Platzmann Open in Luedenscheid, Germany. The 22-year-old won seven matches in as many days and downed eighth seed Hugo Dellien 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

Rain forced Ajdukovic and Dellien to play their semi-final matches and final on Saturday. Despite playing in his first Challenger final, Ajdukovic held his nerve to triumph, sealing his rise to a career-high World No. 216 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

At the Lexington Challenger in Kentucky, former World No. 21 Steve Johnson did not drop a set all week to lift the trophy. The American moved past #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 7-6(5), 6-4 in the championship match after winning 88 per cent of his first-serve points.

The 33-year-old Johnson has won two Challenger crowns this past month following a three-year title drought at all levels.

Steve Johnson wins the ATP Challenger 75 event in Lexington, Kentucky.” />
^{Steve Johnson during Sunday’s final at the Challenger 75 event in Kentucky. Credit: Lexington Challenger}

Argentine Francisco Comesana collected his second Challenger title of the year by winning the Svijany Open by Moneta Money Bank in Liberec, Czech Republic. The 22-year-old cruised past American qualifier Toby Kodat 6-2, 6-4 in the final, where Comesana won 90 per cent of his first-serve points and did not face a break point all match.

A four-time Challenger champion, Comesana is at a career-high No. 170. The Argentine has reached at least the quarter-finals in his past six Challenger events, including a title run in Vicenza.

Lift it up, Come!@fran_comesana wins his second Challenger title of the year and four of his career, defeating Kodat 6-2, 6-4 in Liberec 👏#ATPChallenger | @AATenis pic.twitter.com/owTqMsDcU3

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 6, 2023